


Shelter

by acheforhim



Series: captain_americats [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Don't copy to another site, Fluff, Kittens, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-12
Updated: 2019-11-12
Packaged: 2021-01-29 12:50:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21410467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/acheforhim/pseuds/acheforhim
Summary: Sequel toSupurrheroes, in which Sam has a very cute surprise for Bucky's birthday.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Sam Wilson
Series: captain_americats [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1543435
Comments: 6
Kudos: 65





	Shelter

**Author's Note:**

> Written for my friend who wanted Bucky/the boys to adopt a black kitten named Greg :'D This was once again inspired by the foster_kittens account, but Mary is completely fictional.

Sam feels his heart beat a bit faster when he sees the notification for the DM he just got.

He completely forgot he even sent the adoption inquiry – looking at the messages screen only offers him vague memories related to the night he’d sent it. He remembers being half asleep, a bit drunk on the wine that Rhodey had gifted to them a while ago that they’d finally decided to break out, a bit high from a fight won earlier that day. He’d rolled into bed and scrolled two whole posts down his feed before one from the foster kittens account he followed caught his eye.

It was of a kitten about two weeks old – just like Cap and Baby when they found them, though this one was completely black. He probably liked all the pictures the account posted, but he loved this kitten especially; he looked so fluffy and loveable already.

He scrolls up to read his original message and winces.

_Hhey cat lady,_  
_can I have this guy please… I can give yo uBaby in return_  
_don’t tell Bukcy but he keeps making biscuits on all my sweaters and ruining them :(_  
_take the monster off my hands I’ll take good care of this one i promise_  
  
He doesn’t remember either writing out or sending the message, so he presumes he fell asleep promptly after doing that. He takes a deep breath before he reads the reply.

_Hello there, Captain!_

_It’s good to hear from you! I’m afraid I can’t do much about keeping things from Sergeant Barnes since he’d most definitely notice if we made the switch, no matter how stealthily we go about it. However, if our little Greg really caught your eye and you’d like him to join your family, I’d be more than happy to discuss that with you. :)_

_If you really don’t like kneading, though, I’m not sure how much you’ll like having Greg around…_

There’s a video attached, one where the kitten is sucking on a blanket while his little paws knead in front of it.

It’s one of the cutest things he’s ever seen.

“What’s wrong?” Bucky asks, and Sam starts. He looks up from his phone to Bucky at the other end of the couch, one hand holding his book, the other on Sam’s ankle.

“What?”

“You’ve been frowning at your phone and your breathing’s all wrong.”

_Fucking super soldier hearing, _Sam thinks, before he realizes he’s probably been breathing loud enough for anyone non-enhanced to hear it, too – it’s damn hard not to make _noises _when he’s watching kittens.

Cap, as if summoned by jealousy, jumps up on the couch next to him and climbs onto his lap. He looks up at Sam and meows, demanding his attention, and Sam laughs as he reaches to pet him.

“What’s up, little guy?” he asks, and Cap starts purring contentedly. He puts his front paws on Sam’s so that he can rise up and press against his hand even harder, getting more quality pets. “You’re my favorite thing in the world, you know that?” Sam murmurs and leans in, and Cap happily rubs his head against Sam’s forehead for a few long moments.

Sam feels a hand squeeze his ankle, and looks up with a smile. “_Second _favorite,” he amends, and Bucky gives him a smile. He tilts his head to the side in question and Sam motions him closer.

They meet in the middle, leaning in for a long, soft kiss that has Sam sigh with content after, leaning his head on Bucky’s shoulder.

“It’s all good,” he assures him.

“If you’re sure,” Bucky says. Sam raises his head to nod against him. Bucky kisses his temple and they rearrange themselves so that they’re cuddling properly, Bucky still on his book and Sam on his phone, absently petting Cap as he settles to nap on their thighs.

He doesn’t respond immediately – he doesn’t want Bucky to see his messages and laugh at him.

When he does, he starts with _I’m SO sorry for calling you “cat lady”, _and he means to continue by saying they can’t handle another kitten, but then he watches the damn video of the little guy kneading again, and how they’ve been doing well taking care of two kittens, what’s one more? There’s enough space in the apartment, and he’s _so cute—_

_Can we really have the kitten?_

He doesn’t tell Bucky, not at first. He knows this is probably a decision they should make together, but Sam—he wants to surprise Bucky. It’s his birthday soon, and this might be too much, but if it ends up making Bucky happy… It’s worth keeping it from him a while longer.

He almost breaks the evening before he goes to the shelter.

They’re trying out a cake recipe, Bucky adorably sleepy after a long day, locks of hair framing his face. He’s taken to wearing it down more these days—it gets in the way, but it also lets Sam runs his fingers through it whenever he wants to, and he wants to _a lot. _He likes how soft it is, how long Bucky let himself grow it out, how he looks at him with a shy smile every time Sam tucks a lock of it behind his ear. It’s so goddamn sweet, Sam can’t get enough of it.

He can’t resist coming to stand next to Bucky as Bucky mixes the batter, gently pushing the hair out of his face to press a kiss to his cheek. Bucky makes a grumpy noise, but his cheek still lifts with his smile and he tilts his head to the side, silently requesting more. Sam gives it to him, pressing soft kisses to his cheek, down to his jaw and his neck.

“You’re distracting me,” Bucky says, voice rough, and Sam grins.

“Are you complaining?” he asks, and Bucky grumbles again, then half-turns to him and flicks the spoon in his direction. “Bucky!” Sam groans and reaches up to clean his face of the batter splatter, but Bucky catches his hand before he can do that.

Silently, he leans in and kisses his jaw, licking the batter away in the process.

“That’s not healthy, Buck,” Sam whispers, but it’s not really a complaint, not when Bucky’s lips are trailing down his neck.

“Mm-hmm,” Bucky hums, and for a second Sam realizes that he probably can’t get Salmonella, super soldier body and all, but then all thought flies away when Bucky kisses his neck, teeth grazing over that spot that makes Sam’s knees go weak every time.

“Fuck,” he whispers, and Bucky hums again, gets a hold of Sam until he can lift him up and sit him on the counter. It’s so _good _how strong he is, how he can carry Sam around, make him turn to mush with just his lips on Sam’s neck and his hands on Sam’s thighs.

They kiss long enough that Sam almost forgets what they were doing, but then a single brain cell activates and has him push slightly away.

“The cake,” he says cleverly, and Bucky huffs before he leans in to kiss him again.

“You started this,” he murmurs and nibbles on Sam’s bottom lip. “Besides, you’ll be gone tomorrow. I’m making up for it in advance.”

Sam almost tells him then, that he won’t be gone all day, that he’ll be back around, noon with another fluffy companion for them.

But he manages to keep quiet about it, another thought making him smirk. “You gonna miss me, Buck?” he asks, and Bucky groans and kisses him hard to shut him up. Sam can’t help but laugh as he holds him close, burying his hands in Bucky’s hair. “I’ll be back before you know it,” he promises.

“You better,” Bucky says and finally pulls away, going back to the batter.

*

The shelter is so much more than he imagined.

Not that he even knew exactly what to expect, only having seen videos of a few areas of the house on the account. There are kittens in almost every room, some with their moms and some without. Mary, _the cat lady,_ shows him around with a wide, kind smile on her face, Sam’s enthusiasm making her bright laughter ring out around them. She lets him sit down on the floor in one of the rooms as they talk, kittens of all colors all around, climbing him or playing with the laces of his hoodie.

“Are you guys always that busy?” he asks while an orange little lady – Lucy, Mary had called her – climbs over his chest so she can walk from one of his shoulders to the other and back, nuzzling into the sides of his face on the way.

“Yeah, pretty much,” Mary says, another kitten in her lap enjoying head scritches. “There’s another shelter close by, but I’ve become known as the one to come to when it comes to kittens specifically.”

“That’s a hell of a reputation to have,” he says, and she chuckles.

“You do your duty, I do mine.” They share a smile and Sam looks around.

“Have you thought of renting a bigger space? Growing the shelter?”

“I’ve thought about it, yeah, but I prefer things like this for now,” she says. “I don’t really have any proper staff, so it’s much easier to keep the kittens here where I can keep an eye on them at all times, stay up during the night if I need to.”

“Sounds like a lot of work for one person.”

“It can be,” she says with a little shrug. “But it’s worth it.”

Lucy jumps off his shoulder and goes to play with one of her brothers, and Mary gently deposits her own kitten onto the tree next to her. “Ready to meet Greg?”

“Yes, please,” he says, and she grins.

Greg is, somehow, even cuter in person. He’s steadier on his feet now than in the last video Sam saw, and he takes to him easily – the benefits of actually being taken care of properly from the very start, Sam imagines.

“Is Sergeant Barnes excited to see him?”

“He doesn’t… I didn’t tell him,” Sam admits. “Wanted to surprise him.” He feels a little shy as he adds, “It’s his birthday next week.”

“Oh, that’s so sweet! I hope he likes the surprise.”

“So do I,” Sam says with a chuckle. “I dare him not to love this little ball of fluff, though.”

“I don’t think it’s possible,” Mary says with seriousness, and they share another smile.

“Thank you for this, really,” Sam says and hugs the kitten to his chest. His heart fills when it closes its eyes as if ready to nap, steadily purring.

“Thank _you_!” She says sincerely. “Nothing makes me happier than finding permanent homes for these guys.”

They talk for a little while longer, then part with the promise of telling her how the surprise went on Sam’s part, and that she would let him know if she needed any help with the shelter on Mary’s.

It’s a little after noon when he gets back home, and he hasn’t even turned the key fully yet when he hears Bucky’s footsteps on the other side.

“Sam?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” he says, and opens the door.

“You’re back early,” Bucky says. “Everything okay?”

“Yes, it’s alright,” he says. He doesn’t walk in yet, keeping the carrier out of sight from Bucky. “I might have… lied about where I was going today.”

“Oh?” Bucky says, and Sam bites his lip nervously.

“I got you something,” he says, and finally holds up the carrier for Bucky to see.

Bucky blinks and bends down to look into it, and that’s when Greg lets out the softest little meow. Bucky’s jaw drops a little, and he looks at Sam.

“I know I’m early, but… happy birthday,” Sam says sheepishly, and Bucky just keeps looking between him and the carrier.

“You got me another kitten?” he asks, and the softness of his voice makes the ball of anxiety in Sam’s chest unfurl.

“Yes,” he says simply, and Bucky’s smile brightens his whole face. He pulls Sam in a tight hug that Sam can only return with one arm.

“You’re fucking amazing,” Bucky whispers, smacking a loud kiss on Sam’s cheek before he takes the carrier from him and walks further into the apartment.

Sam follows him, unable to keep the grin off his face, and they sit down on the couch together. Bucky places the carrier on the coffee table and opens it, air crackling with the anticipation of it. He reaches inside it to get the kitten and is met with a loud hiss.

“It wasn’t my left hand this time,” he murmurs, and tries again, but he’s met with the same result.

“Maybe he’s just nervous after traveling,” Sam says. “He met me before, maybe—” he cuts himself off when Greg hisses at him, too, and follows that with an angry, prolonged meow. “Maybe we should let him calm down a little.”

“Maybe,” Bucky says with a laugh. He takes the carrier and leaves it next to the cat tree.

When he heads back for the couch, Greg starts meowing in distress. Bucky rushes back, but the kitten isn’t happy when he crouches down and tries to reach for him again.

“I don’t know what you want, buddy,” Bucky says and gets up. As soon as he takes a step towards the couch, the kitten starts screaming again, stopping only when Bucky all put sprawls himself on the floor so that he can look at it.

“Turn the carrier around so that he can see us,” Sam suggests.

Bucky does so, and thankfully the meowing stops, but it has done its job of attracting someone else: Baby is stalking into the room, eyes on the carrier. Bucky notices him as soon as Sam does.

“Oh, no you don’t,” Bucky says and plucks him off the ground, carrying him to the couch and placing him on his lap.

“Where’s Cap?”

“Probably sleeping in your room,” Bucky says as he makes himself comfortable half on top of Sam. “We’re gonna have to read up on introducing new kitties to old ones real quick.”

“Yeah,” Sam says. “Sorry I kinda sprung this on you.”

“Are you kidding?” Bucky says. “That was the best surprise ever.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, baby, I’m sure,” Bucky says and gives him a chaste kiss before he pulls back again, studiously petting Baby with both hands. “Tell me how you got him.”

Sam settles back and does just that.

*

It doesn’t take Greg long to get used to the two of them and his new home, but they’re still wary of letting him meet the babies.

They keep him in Bucky’s room most of the time since they’ve both been sleeping in Sam’s, and make sure to spend enough time with him when he’s awake. He’s a quiet, friendly kitten, more prone to nuzzling and napping than playing around. Sam wonders if that’ll change when they introduce him to Cap and Baby, but he’s still anxious about it – though they still call them babies, both cats have grown in the few months they’ve had them, and Greg is so much smaller than the two of them, Sam doesn’t want him to get hurt.

It takes a while – they make sure to first introduce the kittens to each other’s scents before they actually let them spend more time in the same room together, and still, Greg and Baby’s first meeting ends in growls and Greg hiding under a dresser for a while. Some of the hostility does wear off, eventually, and the babies are able to at least tolerate being in the same room as the newcomer. Cap seems to be less bothered, carefully sniffing around and mostly ignoring Greg, but Baby still tends to swipe a paw at the kitten if he gets too close.

“I think he’s jealous,” Sam says one day when Bucky’s scooped him up and taken him away from confrontation once again. “He knows I got him for you, he thinks he’s being replaced.”

“He doesn’t think he’s being replaced,” Bucky replies. “He’s just being… a baby,” he finishes with a grin, scratching Baby’s head. “I’m gonna need you to calm down and accept your new brother. He’s not going anywhere.”

Baby meows at him. Sam could swear it sounds indignant.

As if he understood Bucky’s words, Baby does mellow out a bit after that. He lets Greg try and climb the cat tree without swiping at him when he’s in range. Greg doesn’t push his luck by trying to cuddle up to him, but Sam has seen him more around Cap, hunting the older cat’s tail and jumping up at him to bite at his ears. Cap lets it happen, mostly, trying to nap on sunspots on the floor while Greg does his damnedest to keep him awake. The kitten does seem happy, though, slumping to the side of Cap so they can nap together once he finally tires himself out.

Sam is convinced that the way Baby grooms Cap is way more aggressive after he’s been around Greg. Bucky laughs when he tells him about it.

“What if they never get along, though?”

“They will,” Bucky says, quiet but confident. He kisses the worry off of Sam’s brow, and Sam doesn’t bring it up again. He’s not convinced they ever will, though.

That’s why it brings the biggest smile to his face when, a couple of weeks later, Bucky sends him a picture of Baby and Greg napping together, Baby’s paw over Greg’s body as if he’s hugging him. Sam sends back a bunch of excited emoji and saves the picture. That one’s definitely going on the Instagram – their followers have been avidly following the drama of the kittens’ relationship, he’s sure they will be happy about this as he is.

When he comes back home, Bucky greets him with a big smile and a hug, and Sam can’t help but let out a happy laugh as he hugs back.

“I was actually so worried about them,” he says, and Bucky hugs him tighter.

“I know you were,” he says. “You’re a good dad.”

Sam laughs again and pulls back far enough to give Bucky a kiss. “You’re the better dad, you actually got them to get along.”

Bucky’s shoulders lift under Sam’s hands. “I just got more time to spend with them. You’ve been busy being Captain America.” He steps away, his hand sliding from Sam’s back to find his palm and entwine their fingers. He leads him further in. “I do like spending time with them, though.”

“Then I’m glad you get to,” Sam says. Most of the _missions _he’s had lately have involved him making appearances rather than fighting, and he’s glad to keep things that way.

They go quiet for a while, Bucky’s thumb absently running over Sam’s hand. He’s clearly thinking about something, thinking of the right words to express it, and Sam waits for him to get there, taking the moment to relax into the couch after a long day.

“I was thinking,” Bucky starts at last.

“Yeah?”

“What if I get more involved with the shelter? Or _a _shelter.”

“You wanna volunteer?”

“Yes,” Bucky says. “But on a more… Permanent basis.”

Sam thinks about it – the Winter Soldier retiring to help foster kittens. The idea makes his heart feel full.

“I’d still fight if you need me,” Bucky hurries to fill the silence. “I won’t—even if I wanted to, I couldn’t let you go out there without me when I could help. But on most days, I just want…”

“To take care of animals.”

“Yeah.”

“I think that’s a great idea.”

“Yeah?”

Sam smiles at the hopeful look in Bucky’s eye. “Of course, baby,” he says and squeezes Bucky’s hand. “You’re gonna help a lot of people with their work, you’re gonna care for animals that need it. It’s something that you wanna do, and clearly something that’s doing you good. You should at least try it, see how it works out. I could get in touch with Mary, if you want.”

Bucky nods at that, with enthusiasm, and turns so he can lay his head on Sam’s shoulder and hug him closer.

“Thank you,” he whispers into his neck, and Sam kisses the top of his head.

“Of course,” he says again.

He takes his phone to message Mary right away. He can already see it – Bucky with kittens all around him, climbing him and getting tangled in his hair. He can’t help but grin at the image.

“This is gonna be great.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! ♥ [twitter](https://twitter.com/mordrecl)


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